The Avon High girls cross country team won the Blue Devil Invitational on Friday at Veteran’s Park in Middletown. (Photo courtesy AvonRunners on Instagram)
MIDDLETOWN, Sept. 6, 2024 – Sophomore Abby Van Hoof finished fourth and four Avon High runners finished in the top 10 as the Avon girls cross country team won the Blue Devil Invitational for the second consecutive year on Friday at Veteran’s Park.
The Falcons beat Hale-Ray by 18 points, 37-55, to win the championship. Wethersfield was a distant third in the field of 10 teams with 93 points.
Van Hoof was fourth in 21:25 but teammate Ying Ying Cheng (fifth, 21:33) and Laura Funderburk (sixth, 21:34) were the next two runners to cross the finish line. Spirha Dharan finished ninth for the Falcons.
In the junior varsity race, Avon freshman Colbi Carville won the junior varsity race with four runners in the top 10. London Ward (third), Yasmin Rensch (5), Katherine Peng (6) and Izzy Shternberg (7) each finished in the top 10.
The Avon boys did not compete in the race.
Blue Devil Invitational
At Middletown
GIRLS
Team results – 1. Avon 37, 2. Hale-Ray 55, 3. Wethersfield 93, 4. Tolland 116, 5. Hamden 126, 6. Rocky Hill 140, 7. Plainville 150, 8. Coginchaug 165, 9. Middletown 209, 10. Portland 274
Overall – Alexa Nunez, Wethersfield, 20:20.365 for 3.1 miles at Veteran’s Park, 2. Rebecca Langlais, Tolland, 20:44; 3. Sara Evans, Hale Ray 20:45, 4. Abigail Van Hoof, Avon, 21:25, 5. Ying Ying Cheng, Avon, 21:33, 6. Laura Funderburk, Avon 21:34, 7. Taylor Suffish, Rocky Hill 22:15, 8. Julie Anderson, Hale Ray 22:17, 9. Spirha Dharan, Avon, 22:26, 10. Brianna Grazlavich, Wethersfield, 22:29
Other Avon runners: 14. Ella Godbout 22:56, 33. Miriae Ek 24:36, 44. Anyu Yu
